"THE MOST POWERFUL AND MOVING OF THE SYMBOLIC BOOKS": FINE TRIANON PRESS LIMITED FACSIMILE EDITION OF WILLIAM BLAKE'S ILLUMINATED VISIONS OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ALBION

BLAKE, William. Visions of the Daughters of Albion [facsimile]. (London: The Trianon Press, for the William Blake Trust, 1959). Folio (10-1/2 by 14-1/2 inches), original half orange morocco, marbled boards, top edge gilt, publisher's matching marbled slipcase. $850.

Fine Trianon Press limited edition facsimile of one of William Blake's "most powerful" symbolic books, number 18 of 400 copies (from a total edition of only 446) on Arches paper, finely reproducing in color the 11 leaves of Blake's lovely illuminated poem. Printed for The William Blake Trust from Lord Cunliffe's original 1793 volume. With bibliographical note by Blake expert Geoffrey Keynes.

"The style of the Visions is close to that of The Book of Thel both in the manner of the designs and in the simplicity of the coloring; but, whereas the theme of Thel is related to Songs of Innocence, that of the Visions belongs rather to the mood of Songs of Experience" (Keynes, "Bibliographical Statement"). "Visions of the Daughters of Albion (1793) is the first of the minor symbolic books, usually described as the Lambeth Books, although it may have been engraved before Blake left Poland Street. Thel had personified the human soul gazing fearfully through the door of imagination upon the World of Generation, the Visions are concerned with her struggles when she has entered that world… This poem, as a whole, is the most powerful and moving of the symbolic books" (Wilson, The Life of William Blake, 86). With publisher's prospectus for the 1976 facsimile edition of The Book of Los laid in. Bentley, Blake Books 216. Bookplate.

Fine condition.